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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Boggy Creek Farm

...The best place about moving to someplace new is that there is always some adventure to be found. It makes for some exciting days trips. Today, my city kids took to the farm for the local Farmers Market at Boggy Creek Farmin east Austin.

I am going to take a moment and break it down for you so that you too can experience it with us. First of all, this farm really did have great produce. I think Gabriel and Molly took down about half the cherry tomatoes in the walk to the car alone. Me not so much... the tomato love affair comes from their father's DNA. I'm okay with that--- as long as I don't have to eat any.

I think the best part of this adventure was realizing how much of true city slickers our May children are. Funny, because I would have never seen that coming.

When we arrived at the farm, we were pumped. Well, I was actually a little jittery because I had yet again been pulled over ... this time for turning the wrong way on a one way tiny road. Clearly an accident and I pulled myself over... the policeman just joined me for company and promptly showed me the entrance to the farm (ticket free) about 12 feet away. Whew. Those Austin policeman don't miss a beat... yet, another thing that has changed since living here in college.

My city slickers sure did look cute and FARM ready. Or so I thought. (Molly is really into this whole lean while you take a picture thing... you sort of have to cock your head to make her straight.)

We decided to start with the produce because I didn't want to lose focus of our reason for coming to the farm.

Ahhh.. enter tomatoes.

So Gabriel and Molly are walking with me in the produce area. Gabe taking the role of caboose. You know, looking back I would have changed that. As we are walking along the veggies, I notice that the farmers are looking back behind me and giggling a little. So I look back and oh yes, it seems our caboose was a hungry one and as he was walking he was also sampling the tomatoes along the way. Luckily, he had only tried 3... at least he put them back to save for others? And while embarrassed, all I could really think about was, "Man, are those clean?"

City.Slicker.

And wouldn't you know, the juice of Gabriel's tomato shot right into Molly's eye and on her precious apparel and it was quickly made VERY well known that our time at the produce stand had come and gone. Molly scolded Gabriel half the way to the chicken coop. There were lots of jazz hands and angry curls. Not pretty.

Enter chickens.

The kids were pumped. On our way to the chickens we came across this dirt pile where Gabey promptly detoured to play with the tractors and dirt. Heaven.

Molly dug for about two seconds and then whined for about 5 more minutes on how dirty she was. She recovered and took to eyeballing those chickens. (Can we please take a moment and point out that Molly is wearing her happy meal toy around her neck? That's right folks' we stuck out.)

As it turned out, my children were REALLY just excited about the IDEA of the chickens. Not the actual feathers and fluff. Our little free range friends quickly took up residence in the digging area and while I nervously snapped a few pictures, the May children started to wig. There was some climbing on chairs and a little crying from Mr. tomato about how the chickens were going to "bite the tractors"? They were terrified. Now, this is pretty city kid of them but really there is a bigger story here. About a month ago we were attacked by a goose in Dallas during a picnic. I might have freaked a little (er, thrown my left new balance in defence) and judging by my children's reactions... the event left a mark. There was NO convincing them that this tiny chicken was different from a goose.

I tried. The farmer tried. So we left for the flowers.

And they were pretty. And no one cried. And it felt a little like home because you see... we have flowers in the big city too. SLLLLOOOWWW integration to granola living. We'll take what we can get. Wonder what adventure we will find tomorrow?